Adjustable helmet face mask

ABSTRACT

An adjustable helmet for mounting physiological sensors employed to take physiological measurements of patient. The adjustable helmet consists of a front portion of flexible plastic material having three flexible arms adapted to fit over the cheekbones and forehead of the wearer. The ends of each of the flexible arms are provided with a number of slots for adjusting the front portion to a particular person&#39;&#39;s head. The rear portion of the adjustable helmet, also of flexible plastic, fits snugly over the back of the wearer&#39;&#39;s head and contains fasteners which snap into any of the slots in the flexible arms. Both the front and rear portions contain grommets for mounting physiological sensors in positions where the physiological measurement is to be made.

United States Patent Iberall 51 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] ADJUSTABLE HELMETFACE MASK 72] lnventor: Arthur S. lberall, Radnor, Pa.

[73] Assignee: General Technical Services, Incorporated, I Upper Darby,Pa.

r [22] .Filed: May 11, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 36,281

[52] U.S.Cl. ..128/2.05 R, l28/2.05 E, 128/21 B [51] Int. Cl ..A6lb5/02, A61 b 5/04 [58] Field of Search ..l28/2.05 AV,4l0,

lZS/DIG. 4, 2.1 R, 2.06 E, 2.1 A, 2.1 B, 2.1 E, 2.1

3,490,439 1/1970 Rolston l28/2.l 2,549,836 4/1951 McIntyre et al. 128/2R 2,886,818 5/1959 Roberts ..2/3 R Attorney-Hair, Freeman & Molinare[57] ABSTRACT An adjustable helmet for mounting physiological sensorsemployed to take physiological measurements of patient. The adjustablehelmet consists of a front portion of flexible plastic material havingthree flexible arms adapted to fit over the cheekbones and forehead ofthe wearer. The ends of each of the flexible arms are provided with anumber of slots for adjusting the front portion to a particular personshead. The rear portion of the adjustable helmet, also of flexibleplastic, fits snugly over the back of the wearers head and containsfasteners which snap into any of the slots in the flexible arms. Boththe front and rear portions contain grommets for mounting physiologicalsensors in positions where the physiological measurement is to be made.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRZS I972 3, 658 054 SHEET 1 OF 3 1NVEN TOR 4/? THUR 5. /BERALL BY MM ATTORNEYS PATENTEU APR 2 5 I972 SHEET2 [1F 3 INVENTOR AR THUR s. IBERALL y MW ATTORNEYS BY WM PATENTEDAPR 25I972 3, 658, 054

an 3 [IF 3 EA. F l2 ANTENNA (76 /78 VOLTAGE MODULATOR POWER SUPPL Y 84R./-7 RE SOURCE AMP m! VEN'I UR, APT/4UP 5. /BERALL ATTORNEYS ADJUSTABLEHELMET FACE MASK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesgenerally to an adjustable helmet face mask for mounting physiologicalsensors. In the increasingly complex technology of today, medicalpersonnel find it necessary to have a great number of measurements ofthe physiological parameters of a patient. These parameters are vitalfor the accurate prognosis and diagnosis of the patient. In the pastmany of these measurements were taken manually, for instance themeasurements of blood pressure and temperature. Manual measurement ofthese physiological parameters is inadequate because it is bothinconvenient and time consuming to obtain continuous readings of theseparameters which are necessary if changes in the patients conditionareto be observed. Also, if each of the required physiological parameterswere to be measured manually, it would be most difficult to take theremeasurements simultaneously as each of the measurements would require anindividual to take the measurement.

Recently, devices for receiving electrodes and the like have beendeveloped for placement on a patients head. For example the teaching ofUlett (US. Pat. No. 2,426,958) discloses an electrode holder of rigidconstruction having a band which may be adjusted about the wearers headand secured by a wing nut and bolt fitting through overlapping portionsof the band and slidable in a longitudinal slot provided on one end ofthe band. These devices are generally expensive, uncomforta ble andinadequate for the purposes of measuring a number of physiologicalparameters. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a helmet forreceiving physiological sensors which will be lightweight, flexible,inexpensive and comfortable for the wearer. It is also desirable to havesuch a helmet which will be adjustable to any human head.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In a principal aspect the present invention takesthe form of an adjustable helmet face mask for mounting physiologicalsensors, adapted to fit any persons head, comprising, an anteriorportion having a single center, a plurality of flexible arms extendingfrom the center, each of the flexible arms having fastening means forfastening the arms, and means for mounting physiological sensors insensor locations, and a posterior portion having means for receiving thefastening means such that the helmet face mask is adjustable to a humanhead, and means for accommodating the physiological sensors in sensorlocations.

In a preferred embodiment the plurality of flexible arms of the anteriorportion comprise three flexible arms joined to the center of theanterior portion so as to form a substantially inverted Y. The upwardlyextending arm is adapted to fit the contour of the wearers forehead fromthe upper portion of his nose to the back of his head, and the secondand third arms are adapted to fit the contour of the wearers face fromthe FIG. 4 is a top view of the wearer and helmet shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the posterior portion of the adjustablehelmet shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the anterior portion of the adjustablehelmet shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 7 is a side view of the head of a wearer with a second preferredembodiment of the adjustable helmet in place on the wearers head;

FIG. 8 is a frontal view of the wearer and helmet shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the wearer and helmet shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the posterior portion of the adjustablehelmet shown in FIG. 7,

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the anterior portion of the adjustablehelmet shown in FIG. 7,

FIG. 12 shows a circuit diagram of the transducer (a), a block diagramof the sender (b) and of the receiver (c).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1-7 show an adjustablehelmet face mask for mounting physiological sensors which employs theprinciples of the present invention. The device includes an anteriorportion 10 having a single center 12 from which extend a first flexiblearm 14, a second flexible arm 16 and a third flexible arm 18 joinedtogether so as to form an inverted Y as seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6.

The posterior portion 20 shown isolated in the perspective view of FIG.5 includes a vertical flexible band 22 adapted to fit over the wearershead extending from beneath one ear to beneath the other ear. An upperhorizontal flexible band 24 is joined at each end to the verticalflexible band 22 at positions above each of the wearers earsrespectively. A lower horizontal flexible band 26 is joined at each endof the lower horizontal flexible band 26 to the ends of the verticalflexible band 22 beneath each of the wearers ears. A vertical segmentband 28 joins midpoint 25 of the upper horizontal band 24 to themidpoint 27 of the lower horizontal band 26.

The posterior portion 20 is rendered secure on the wearers head by thevertical flexible band 22 fitting over the wearers head which preventsmovement of the mask downwardly and by the upper horizontal flexibleband 24 fitting behind the upper part of the wearers head which preventsslippage of the mask toward the wearers face. The lower horizontalflexible upper portion of his nose over his left and right cheekbonesrespectively, and beneath his left and right ears respectively. Themeans for accommodating physiological sensors comprises a number ofgrommets attached to the flexible arms at sensor locations. The meansfor securing the posterior portion includes at least one flexible bandadapted to fit behind the persons head and adapted to receive thefastening means for fastening the arms such that the anterior portionand the posterior portion are held securely on the persons head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the profileof the head of a wearer with a first preferred embodiment of theadjustable helmet in place on the head;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the wearer and helmet shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the wearer and helmet shown in FIG.

band 26, fitting behind the lower part of the wearers head and directlybeneath the external occipital protuberance 29 of the wearer, cooperateswith the vertical segment flexible band 28 by preventing slippage of themask upwardly.

The helmet is rendered adjustable to fit any persons head by means offasteners 30 joined to ends of the vertical flexible band 22 and to themidpoint 25 of the upper horizontal band 24 which are adapted to snapinto any of the slots 32 located along the first second and thirdflexible arms 14, 16, and 18, respectively.

Grommets 34 for receiving physiological sensors are snapped securelyinto flexible bands 22, 24, and 26 and flexible arms 14, 16 and 18 in anumber of sensor locations. For instance, rornmet 34ais located over theersons tem oral arg P P tery for mounting the physiological sensor formeasuring temporal blood pressure and grommet 34 b is positioned nearthe persons earlobe for mounting the blood oxygenation sensor.

The adjustable helmet is positioned on a person s head,

locating the single center 12 of the anterior portion 10 on therespectively forming the substantially inverted Y shown in FIG. 2. Thehelmet is locked into position extending the ends of the second andthird flexible arms 16 and 18 to positions near the fasteners 30 andsnapping the flexible arms 16 and 18 into positions rigid yetcomfortable for the wearer.

The adjustable helmet thus fastened is in a secure position on thewearers head, anchored in front at the upper portion of the wearer'snose by anterior portion and in back beneath the wearers externalprotuberance 29 by the posterior portion 20.

FIG. 7-11 show a second preferred embodiment of an adjustable helmetface mask for mounting physiological sensors which employs theprinciples of the present invention.

The posterior portion 50 shown isolated in the perspective view of FIG.10 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 5 is several aspects. The upperand lower horizontal flexible bands 24 and 26 of FIG. 5 are replaced bya singlehorizontal band 52 fitting behind the wearers head beneath hisoccipital protuberance 29 and having cavities through which the wearersears may fit. As in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a verticalflexible band 54 fits over the wearers head from beneath one ear tobeneath the other. Also, a flexible connecting vertical segment 56connects the midpoint 53 of the single horizontal band 52 to themidpoint 55 of the vertical flexible band 54.

The anterior portion58 of the second preferred embodiment shown in FIG.11 differs from that in FIG. 6 only in that the first flexible arm 60 isshorter than the first flexible arm 14 of FIG. 6. The difference isattributable to the fact that the first flexible arm 60 is designed tobe secured atop the wearers head to the vertical flexible band 54 asshown in FIG. 7 rather than behind the wearers head to the upperhorizontal band as shown in FIG. 1.

A particular example of monitoring apparatus is shown in FIGS. 2 and 12.There a blood pressure transducer 62 is mounted over the wearerstemporal artery. A pressure sensitive diaphragm 63 is employed in thetransducer to sense the blood pressure of the wearers external temporalartery. The position of the diaphragm will vary with the varying bloodpressure of the wearer.

The transducer 62 may take the form of a Wheatstone Bridge 64 havingfixed resistors 65, 66, 67 and 68 and a variable resistor 69. Thevariable resistor may be positioned on the diaphragm 63 so that movementof the diaphragm 63 causes physical distortion of the variable resistor69. The distortion varies the resistance of resistor 69 and serves toproduce a voltage across the output terminals 70 of the bridge 64representative of the distortion.

Power is supplied to the transducer 62 from a DC voltage source 71. Thecurrent from source 71 may be controlled by a single pole, single throw,manually operable switch 72 in series with source 71. The switch 72 andsource 71 are in series across input terminals 73 of thebridge 64.

The voltage across the output terminals 70 is transmitted to a voltageamplifier 76 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 12b. Output voltageis fed through a voltage amplifier 76 to a modulator 78 where it ismodulated by a radio frequency carrier wave produced by a radiofrequency generator 80 and radio frequency amplifier 82. Power source 84supplies power to the individual units. The wave shape then flows intoantenna 86 where electromagnetic wave shapes are formed and radiated.

The voltage may be monitored on an oscilloscope, voltmeter, or digitalrecorder after reception by a radio frequency receiver having a dipoleantenna 86, filter 88, demodulator 90 and power supply 92 as shown inthe block diagram 120. An oscilloscope 94 would be preferable to showtime varying changes in the blood pressure wave shape whereas thevoltmeter response would merely show an arrow wavering between thesystolic and diastolic blood pressure of the wearer.

While in the foregoing, there has been set forth a preferred embodimentof the present invention, it is to be understood,

that all those embodiments obvious to persons skilled in the art, andall those embodiments which are equivalent are to be included within thescope of the claimed invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable helmet face mask for mounting physiological sensorsadapted to fit a person s head, comprising, in combination,

an anterior portion having a single center,,flexible arms extending fromsaid center, a first flexible arm, second flexible arm, and thirdflexible arm, each of said arms extending from said center, said centeradapted to locate over the upper nasal portion with said first armextending upward over the forehead to engage the anterior portion, saidsecond and third arms extending outward and downward from said centerportion and connectable with said anterior section such that said secondand third arms extend over the cheekbones, and beneath the ears when thehelmet is mounted on the person s head,

a posterior portion having a means for receiving said fastening meanssuch that said anterior and posterior portions are fastenable in varientpositions and adjustable to a human head in a plurality of positions,and means on at least one of said portions for mounting physiologicalsensors in a plurality of sensor locations.

1. An adjustable helmet face mask for mounting physiological sensorsadapted to fit a person''s head, comprising, in combination, an anteriorportion having a single center, flexible arms extending from saidcenter, a first flexible arm, second flexible arm, and third flexiblearm, each of said arms extending from said center, said center adaptedto locate over the upper nasal portion with said first arm extendingupward over the forehead to engage the anterior portion, said second andthird arms extending outward and downward from said center portion andconnectable with said anterior section such that said second and thirdarms extend over the cheekbones, and beneath the ears when the helmet ismounted on the person''s head, a posterior portion having a means forreceiving said fastening means such that said anterior and posteriorportions are fastenable in varient positions and adjustable to a humanhead in a plurality of positions, and means on at least one of saidportions for mounting physiological sensors in a plurality of sensorlocations.